Working title: Summer Thirst

Sunday, May 24, 2009

It is getting closer to production, and we are currently working on the set.The frame and the interior is almost done, being the most time consuming parts of the build. Exterior and props should soon be finished as well.

EXT: Small countryside house on a warm summer day. Birds are singing and the trees are swaying in the mild summer breeze.

INT: Living room in the countryside house. Modestly decorated and furnished, and lit by the sunlight streaming through an open window.

A dry flower is standing in his pot in a corner of the living room. The owners of the house have left for holiday, forgetting to water it. He is desperately thirsty and spots a full water can standing on the window sill. In his need of water the flower decides to take action in to his own leaves and sets out to reach the water can by him self.

He first attempts to attach a series of straws together in hope of sucking some water out of the can. Disappointingly the straw extension breaks just as he is about to take a sip of the rejuvenating liquid.

Secondly he tries to tip the can over with a hook on a fishing line, using it as a lasso. He throws too far, and it hooks to a rock outside the house. Thinking he has caught the can he pulls hard on the line, catapulting the rock in through the open window and onto his crown.

Lastly he attempts to catapult himself up on to the window sill, using a piece of wood and an old coke can. With his fishing line he pulls a book down from a shelf, landing it on the home made catapult which sends him flying. Rocketing towards the water can he soon realises that he is going too far. Instead of landing on the window sill he flies through the open window and disappears.

The flower is standing outside the house, looking disappointedly up towards the water can, without noticing that there is a puddle of fresh water right behind him.

A stop-motion animation film by Jesper Kirkeby Brevik and Bendik Stubstad Henriksen.

In this project we will produce a stop-motion animation film. The film is about a flower that has been left unwatered by its owners, and who's thirst results in a struggle for water. This creates a series of attempts in reaching a water can that is placed in the living room's window sill.

The story carries several humorous elements that caters for a younger audience. Yet the “realistic” style will also make it appeal to an older audience, as it is made in a fashion that reminds of original puppet stop-motion. It is also worth mentioning that we are inspired by Pixar's easy-going humour, and the way in which their short 3D animations portrays comic situations without containing dialogue. We also wish to use a traditional narrative, as from the aristotelian dramaturgic curve. This fits the linear fashion of our story and builds the escalating tension, creating the wanted excitement towards the humorous points.

The film will let us explore the possibilities and challenges of stop-motion, such as utilising anthropomorphism to create our main character. We will be using wire to make leaves, stem and crown flexible, enabling the flower to perform both emotions and actions. The same method will also be used on other elements in the film, such as the straws and the fishing line.

To give the film a thorough visual we will produce our own set (ext. & int.), including the character and necessary props. This will also give us the space needed to execute wanted camera movements and angles during shooting. Other stylistic choices will be the use of strong colours on the films main character and key elements, separating them from less important parts of the set. We will use natural fabrics for the character and the props, whilst painting/drawing the backdrops.

Our interior set will represent the living room the story takes place in, consisting of 2 and 2/3s of a wall and an open roof, whilst the exterior set will be given the needed depth using false perspective backdrops. Creating a complete set will also make it easier to avoid unwanted disturbances and set the appropriate lighting.